Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit will be on full display at University of Toronto’s Entrepreneurship Week—a high-energy celebration of the bold ideas, audacious founders and transformative ventures that are reshaping our healthcare landscape. Dynamic, disruptive and fueled by an unmistakable Canadian touch—this week offers a front-row seat to the future of health innovation.
Big Raises, Big Partnerships, Big Impact
Canada’s innovation ecosystem is booming, as evidenced by the discoveries, development and traction of H2i’s diverse startup ecosystem. H2i’s health startups, from medical devices to therapeutic interventions and software innovations, are creating substantial impact through groundbreaking research, skilled business development and strategic partnerships.
In 2023-24 alone, H2i’s 248 startups, 56% of which are women-led, generated CAD $122.5 million in economic value. The current year is set to reach new heights, with raises like those by Forcen (CAD $8.35M), Mesosil (CAD $2.2M), HDAX Therapeutics (CAD $4.3M) and Oxford Cancer Analytics (OXcan) (USD $11M). Many milestone partnerships have been unveiled—MedEssist partnered with Uber Direct to create their own Pharmacy Health Clinic, Neuropeutics partnered with LifeArc Inc to advance the treatment of MND/ALS, and HEALWELL acquired a controlling interest in Mutuo Health Solutions.
See it for Yourself this March
U of T Entrepreneurship Week, taking place from March 3rd-7th, is more than a series of events—it’s a celebration of Canadian talent, ambition and the relentless drive to innovate. Whether you’re an investor scouting the next big opportunity, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply a believer in the promise of Canadian ingenuity, this week is your chance to connect, learn and be inspired.
Curious to learn more about Canada’s leadership in health innovation? Look no further than these startups, just some of the fantastic talent that H2i has the privilege to support…
Health Startups to Watch at UofT Entrepreneurship Week
📅2025 Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition | March 6
The Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition is set to ignite the main stage as 10 of U of T’s brightest startups pitch their groundbreaking ventures for a chance to win over $100,000 in prizes.
Early-Stage Category Finalists:
- Vrit is transforming surgical care with a handheld bioprinter that eliminates the need for autografts, enabling advanced, minimally invasive procedures. Our innovative product line includes novel bioinks and the handheld bioprinter, empowering surgeons with cutting-edge tools for improved patient outcomes.
- Medium AI delivers Canada’s most accurate and secure multilingual medical scribe system, empowering English, Mandarin, and Cantonese-speaking clinicians to save up to 8 hours weekly while boosting clinic revenue by $150,000 annually through precise and efficient workflows.
- Elev8 and Perform Inc has created a wearable technology leveraging quantum nanotechnology biology to enhance athlete longevity and performance. Elev8 works with members of the Olympics, NBA, and Harvard, revolutionizing how athletes train, recover, and excel at all levels.
Late-Stage Category Finalists:
- Flow Robotics, a Toronto-based med-tech startup, is revolutionizing small intestinal diagnostics and treatment by developing innovative, less invasive endoscopic solutions that enhance efficiency, accessibility, and outcomes for healthcare providers and patients alike.
- Re:Pair Therapeutics. Less than 14% of gene therapies succeed due to off-target effects causing harm. Re:Pair Therapeutics has developed an algorithm to design a mini GPS to improve targeting and safety in gene therapies while reducing toxic side effects, and increasing success rates.
- Dinamik Therapies (formerly Nanogenix) is a clinical stage biotechnology start-up being incubated at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto Canada. We create precision nanomedicines to transform the care for the 450,000 patients and survivors with oral cancers.
- Robotic Algometry (RAMalgo)‘s mission is to transform preclinical pain testing and improve clinical outcomes for patients with pain. Their robot RAMalgo enables better, faster, more comprehensive pain testing. By identifying better drugs at the preclinical stage, more of them will succeed in clinical trials.
📅True Blue Expo | March 6
The True Blue Expo transforms into a vibrant showcase where over 40 innovative startups will exhibit their revolutionary products and services. This isn’t merely an expo—it’s a talent hotbed where founders, investors and innovators forge connections and celebrate the spirit of Canadian entrepreneurship.
Visit the Expo to meet these incredible H2i startups: Elev8 and Perform, EVOLVERE Mental Health Inc., Flow Robotics, Medium AI, Morphace Skincare Wearables, MyWellSelf, Neuropeutics, Re:Pair Genomics, Robotic Algometry, Vrit, Bough Biosciences, Dinamik Therapies, Oculum and Maman Biomedical.
📅H2i Venture-Focused Programming
On March 3rd, H2i will host its annual Stress Management and Mental Wellness for Entrepreneurs event, featuring founders Vishar Yaghoubian (Toothpod) and Dr. Cameron Stewart (Mesosil). On March 4th, the third Fireside at FemSTEM will take place, welcoming special guest and MedEssist co-founder Joella Almedia. Then, on March 5th, H2i and SpinUp will welcome founders from across the tri-campus and beyond to hone their storytelling skills in a special workshop with Talk Boutique.
Come for the pitches. Stay for the connections. Leave inspired by the future of healthcare.
Join us and witness firsthand how the spirit of Canada is transforming the world of health innovation.